Friday 15 October 2010

Slut's Spaghetti


(Sorry Mum...)

With a name like that, how could I resist trying this new Nigella Lawson recipe?! Here is what the lady formerly known as the 'domestic goddess' has to say about this dish, the first in the chapter entitled 'Off the Cuff'.

Well how could I resist this translation of pasta alla puttanesca, whore's pasta as it usually is described in English? The general consensus seems to be that this is the sort of dish cooked by slatterns who don't go to the market to get their ingredients fresh, but are happy to use stuff out of jars and tins... Or maybe I should just attribute the name to the fiery tang and robust saltiness of the dish?

The original recipe calls for sardines, but I've made this dish vegetarian by omitting them and amping up some of the other flavours.

Slut's Spaghetti
Adapted recipe from 'Kitchen' by Nigella Lawson
(serves 2-3)

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced, chopped or grated
1/4 teaspoon crushed chilli flakes
250g spaghetti
half 400g can chopped tomatoes
75g (drained weight) pitted black olives, chopped a bit
1 x 15ml tablespoon small capers, well rinsed and drained
1-2 x 15ml tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, to serve

Method
1. Put water for pasta on to boil, though you don't need to get started on the sauce until it is pretty well boiling.

2. Pour the oil into a wide, shallowish frying pan, casserole or wok, and put on a medium heat.

3. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook, stirring, for a minute. Add the tomatoes, olives and capers and cook for 10 minutes, stirring every now and again, by which time it will have thickened slightly. Taste for seasoning, then stir in the chopped fresh parsley.


4. Meanwhile, salt the pasta water and put your spaghetti on to cook.

5. Just before the pasta is ready, remove about half an espresso cupful of cooking water, and reserve it. When the pasta is cooked as desired, drain and add the spaghetti to the sauce in your pan, adding a little reserved pasta water, if needed, to help amalgamate the sauce.

6. Serve with some shaved/grated Parmesan cheese and tuck in!


The Verdict
Quick, easy and its flavour so punchy, this one is one of my new Nigella favourites. The name gets some giggles too, making it quite the talking point over dinner! ;)


Love,

Ladybird x

18 comments:

  1. Ha - I saw this recently on my friend Digella's blog - Digella's Emporium. I think it is a great name - and your vego version looks super yum.

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  2. This looks delicious! You can't go wrong with chilli and tomato - but i'd probably add some basil too :)

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  3. Sluts Spaghetti!! hahaha thats hilarious! looks absolutely delicious mMmm

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  4. bahahah i saw the title and had to do a double glance! it's totes spaghetti weather!

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  5. Otherwise variously known as working girl's spaghetti or, as you mentioned, whore's spaghetti! I think slut's spaghetti is putting it rather nicely =p

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  6. Sluts spaghetti! I laughed when I saw the name. Look really yummy and "slutty" :P

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  7. I would argue that sluts and whores are in fact different creatures, but perhaps this is a discussion for another time... over a nice bowl of your women-of-disrepute pasta ;)

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  8. Looks so good, but could I have my anchovies on the side please? I love the extra oomph they give the dish. Yumm...

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  9. I was drawn to the title of this post! Haha love it. I could do with a nice big bowl of pasta right now!

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  10. HAHA funny one! SO how's Nigella's new book going? I'm debating whether or not to get it (though I should because I have loads and hardly cook from them).

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  11. I like how you had red wine to go with it too :D haha and red tablecloth!
    looks like a simple yummy dinner!

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  12. mmm how I love pasta! This does sound simple but delicious, and love the name hehe.

    Rose

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  13. Love the name of the dish! ha. This sounds delicious. I love the capers and olives in it.

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  14. Hi GG - Yes I saw that too!
    Hi Kristy - Yes, you could definitely try adding some basil if you wanted too.
    Hi Rhonda - it made me giggle too ;)
    Hi Suze - isn't it just?! What happened to spring?!
    Hi MD - if I was better at saying the italian name I would stick with that, but slut's spaghetti has a good ring to it.. hehe
    Hi Zoe - yes, and so quick and easy!
    Hi Conor - what an interesting discussion that would be :P
    Hi InTolerant Chef - absolutely, if anchovies are your thing, go for it!
    Hi Phuoc - The new book is going GREAT.. there's plenty more to come, such a good book!
    Hi Betty - Yes it's good pasta weather at the moment, isn't it?!
    Hi Vivienne - yeah, I guess I got into the spirit of it, haha
    Hi Rose - so simple, great for a weeknight dinner
    Hi Karen - I'm not usually a big fan of capers, but I really liked them in this, they add loads of flavour and bite!

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  15. Yummo, we just made this and it tasted fantastic, thanks for sharing this :-)

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  16. haha! I first raised an eyebrow while reading the name of the recipe ("Is my understanding of English missing something?") and then had a good laugh about the translation of spaghetti alla putanesca, which are truly one of my favourite salsa!!

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  17. LOLZ, yes, calling a female a Putana is a very bad thing to do!
    Although a nice spaghetti like this is sure to mend any offense ;)

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